


And I shall bestow a kiss upon you

by nazangel



Series: Comfortember 2020: ToG Edition [3]
Category: Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Lorcan's backstory is implied to be sad, Platonic Kissing, Platonic Relationships, Rowan is a good big brother
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-12 16:01:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28762986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nazangel/pseuds/nazangel
Summary: The cadre like to kiss each other. Aedion is a little confused.
Relationships: Aedion Ashryver & Cadre, Aedion Ashryver & Rowan Whitethorn, Lorcan Salvaterre & Rowan Whitethorn
Series: Comfortember 2020: ToG Edition [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2015711
Comments: 4
Kudos: 36
Collections: Comfortember 2020





	And I shall bestow a kiss upon you

The Cadre liked to kiss each other.

It was an absurd thought, but Aedion knew what he was seeing.

He hadn't thought much of it at first. They were pretty drunk the first time it happened, and Fenrys had been the perpetrator. That part was self-explanatory, really.

After a night out that had left both he and Rowan tipsy, Fenrys drunk and Lorcan the only one sober, they had come back with Fenrys dangling between them.

"I'll take him to his room," said Lorcan

"Are You sure?" asked Rowan

"Yea, yea," said Lorcan, "I'm sure your wives are waiting to hit you over the heads for being this late,"

Aedion chuckled. They were late, an hour late, to be exact. Elide, of course, was still in Perranth, so Lorcan didn't need to worry about ruining anyone's schedule.

"Alright then,"

Lorcan started to lead Fenrys away when he suddenly flailed and tried to move back.

"Wait! Wait!" he cried, "I have to say bye,"

Lorcan rolled his eyes and sighed but let him go. Fenrys ambled over and gave Rowan a big hug and kiss on the cheek. He then turned to Aedion and kissed his hair.

"Timo to go now," said Lorcan

Fenrys grinned and waved, "Bye!"

Aedion smiled and shook his head as they watched the other two go.

"Wow, he's drunk,"

Rowan snorted his agreement.

And that was that.

Except that it wasn't.

The next time it happened, they were at a party hosted by the Queen of Terrasen. It was a holiday gala with plenty of wine and spirits making the rounds. This time both he and Fenrys were pretty drunk. As the night ended and the still sober ladies retired to one of the smaller sitting rooms, Rowan and Lorcan decided it was time for both he and Fenrys to be in bed.

Rowan grabbed him while Lorcan took the other wolf. However, before Fenrys could leave, he once again gave both of them a kiss on the cheek. Aedion let it go instantly but was forced to rethink it when Rowan was putting him in bed.

The silver-haired male helped him strip out of his outer layers and got him under the covers. Once Aedion was in, Rowan lowered his head and gently touched his lips to Aedion's forehead.

Now, Aedion was drunk and tired and didn't have the capacity to really think beyond his initial surprise. However, in the morning, his head was a little more clear, if throbbing, and he remembered what had happened the night before.

Even though it was a bit odd, he put it off to Rowan just acting like the big brother. Aedion himself had always kissed Aelin as a sign of affection. So what if they were two males? It was still a normal thing to do.

It happened again after a late-night dinner at the palace. This time no one was drunk, and no one kissed him.

However, as Fenrys got up to leave, everyone else got up say goodbye. Rowan was the last one, and as he leaned in for a hug, Fenrys gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek, same as Aelin.

It was a little surprising since he had only seen Fenrys kiss one of the males when drunk, but he figured it was just something Fenrys did.

The next time the four of them were sitting at a campfire, and the oldest two males were regaling them with stories from their centuries together. Fenrys would chime in here and there, too, but it was mostly the other two talking.

Surprisingly, Fenrys was the first one to get up, citing an early morning for him. Before he left, he went to grasp Rowan's arm and then quickly kissed him on the cheek. Lorcan was given the same treatment.

Lorcan was given the _same_ treatment. What the _fuck_?

The oldest male didn't push him away as Aedion had expected, merely sighed exasperatedly and rolled his eyes. As Fenrys passed him, he placed a kiss on his head too.

Aedion looked at the other males, but they had gone back to reminiscing about one battle or another.

Alright. So maybe Fenrys really just liked kissing his friends. It could be a thing.

The time after that, there was no Fenrys. It was actually Rowan that did it.

"Alright, time for me go," he said once the two of them were done pouring over reports. The man squeezed his shoulder and placed a kiss on his head. Aedion mumbled his own goodnight and wondered what the hell was going on.

He had almost given up on figuring it out and just accepted that Fenrys and Rowan were just like that. Except then he witnessed a small moment between Lorcan and Rowan that made him curious again.

They were going out to meet a radical pure-blood fae group, the kind that didn't believe any demi-fae should have been given freedom. The new laws put forward by the Sellene had brought them out of the woodwork. Aelin had agreed to go help settle things down.

Lorcan had been on edge ever since he heard of the group, more tense than normal, mood sourer than ever, and he barely said two words to anyone.

No one in the court blamed him, though. This group had been around for a long time, and if Rowan's impromptu history lesson was anything to go by, someone as old as Lorcan would have been brought a lot of pain due to their actions.

Just before they were about to leave, Aedion saw Rowan and Lorcan standing a little away from the rest of them. Rowan was saying something to Lorcan softly and when he finished talking, the dark made gently grasped his forearm. He then leaned in as if to hug the other male but turned his face to brush a small kiss at Rowan's temple.

It was a small moment and if Aedion had blinked, he would have missed it. Nobody else saw it and Aedion didn't have time to give it much thought.

After that incident, Aedion started to see it a lot more. Fenrys would kiss them when he was drunk or at the end of the day. Rowan would do it in a 'brotherly' way when one of them was upset or they were having a soft moment. They kissed each other more than they kissed him but still when they did, it seemed to come to them naturally. With Lorcan, the action wasn't natural. It was deliberate, usually comfort as the last resort. A kiss for Fenrys when his drink made him cry instead of making him laugh, one for Rowans when his eyes became glassy and always done in a fleeting moment. Aedion didn't think anyone else noticed it and the only reason he did was that he was looking for it.

Lorcan didn't kiss Aedion though. At least, he didn't use to.

Aedion and Lysandra had travelled to Perranth to check on Elide as she healed from her bones being realigned. The whole court had wanted to go together but as far as responsibilities go, it was just not feasible.

They promised to stay there three nights and on the second one, Aedion woke up in a sweat, his heart racing in his chest.

A nightmare. It had been a nightmare and a brutal one at that. One filled with too much blood and screaming, one that left him unable to go to sleep. Not wanting to wake his slumbering wife, Aedion carefully sipped out of bed.

Once he was in the hall, Aedion walked around the maze of a manor until he ended up on the city facing balcony. It was the same balcony Elide used at big functions to be seen and heard by her citizens. At night, it gave a beautiful and peaceful view of Perranth. It helped calm him.

The presence behind him seemed to materialize out of nowhere. He whipped around to find Lorcan already stepping back with his hands up and a sheepish look on his face.

"Apologies," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice, "I forget not everyone can feel me coming,"

"Right," muttered Aedion, "What are you doing up here?"

Lorcan hummed, "I usually only sleep four to six hours a night. This time it more towards the least amount. You?"

Aedion just shrugged and went back to looking at the city. Lorcan nodded as if he understood. Who knew, he probably did.

They stood there for a little while, silently watching the sleeping city together. Eventually, as Aedion's eyes started to droop, Lorcan turned towards him.

"We should get you back to bed, Ashryver," he said, "Unlike me, you do need more sleep,"

Aedion grunted but followed Lorcan without complaint. Lorcan was right, he was tired and he needed the sleep. Maybe this time his mind would actually let him rest.

When they got to the suite he was staying in, Lorcan was the one to open the door for him. Aedion nodded his thanks and said a quiet good night. As he passed Lorcan, the older male put a gentle hand on his shoulder and brushed a kiss to his temple.

"Good night," he murmured to Aedion, quickly closing the door after him.

It happened so fast, Aedion didn't have time to be surprised before the other male was gone.

He was, however, determined to get some answers.

The next time he saw Rowan, he plopped down beside him with intent.

"I have a question," he declared to his brother

Rowan raises an eyebrow at him, "Oh?"

"What's with the kissing?"

Rowan's other eyebrow joined its partner.

"You're going to need to be a little more specific, pup," said Rowan, "I'm assuming you're not asking about the normal kissing young men ask their older brothers about,"

Aedion snorted, "No. I'm talking about you and the rest of the Cadre,"

"Oh, that," said Rowan, "You noticed, hmm?"

"A bit hard not to," said Aedion, "Especially when Lorcan of all people gently bestowed one on me,"

"He did?" asked Rowan, disbelief clear on his face, "Wait. Is that what prompted this conversation?"

"Well, yes," answered Aedion, "Fenrys only does it when he's tired or drunk or both and you're to me what I am to Aelin so I didn't think much about it. I figured males that were close just did that,"

Rowan smiled, "And you would be right,"

Aedion gave him a blank look.

"But..."

Rowan smiled and threw an arm around, gently tugging him into his side.

"It doesn't really mean anything. It's just something people in Doranelle grow up doing, like shaking hands and hugging each other. Of course, Lorcan didn't grow up with family and is a little more reserved. Fenrys and I, as nobles, were taught some etiquette along with it. Bow first, who should initiate, how close you have to be and such but otherwise it doesn't have a deep meaning behind it,"

"So Lorcan...?"

Rowan sighed.

"As I said about Lorcan," he said, "He grew up without a family. All those jokes we make of him, he doesn't mind them because frankly, he gives as much as he gets. If he minded, we wouldn't make the jokes but there is some truth to them,"

Aedion thought back to the comment he had heard in passing conversations. The more humorous and nonchalant ones like 'bastard from the slums' and 'street rat'. And the ones said in the heat of the moment, like the day Rowan had spat out 'fucked his way to the top' in anger, making even Lorcan go quiet for a second.

If one really looked at the implied stories behind them, they didn't paint a very nice picture of Lorcan's past.

"He cares about you," said Rowan, "In his own Lorcan way, as much as he is able. We care out you,"

"Oh," whispered Aedion, " _Oh_ ,"

Rowan chuckled and placed a kiss against his temple. Aedion could feel his smile against his skin.

"Come on, pup," said Rowan, still smiling, "I think it's time for lunch,"

"Okay," he murmured, still a bit dazed.

After his conversation with Rowan, Aedion stopped keeping track, letting the older males show their affection. Lorcan's displays were still few and far between but Aedion knew that was just another part of him.

Eventually, he found himself reciprocating and even initiating the small show of affection. He learnt to turn his head and kiss Fenrys at the same time. He learnt to plant a kiss on Rowan's cheek as they hugged in greeting. He learnt that Fenrys like his hair to be kissed when he was tired. He found that when his brother was drunk he let out an adorable little giggle at having his forehead kissed.

He, however, refrained from doing any such thing with Lorcan. It just didn't seem right. Lorcan himself rarely initiated and to Aedion it felt as if he would be crossing some invisible line.

However, one night, on the anniversary of the court's victory, the four of them were sitting outside bathed in moonlight. The party had gone one for some time and as it had come to an end, the four of them had slipped away for a breath of air before they had to go back in and help the ladies. They were a little tipsy, red-cheeked and warm, their conversations soft and nonsensical.

Aedion didn't want to leave but he knew he had to be the first one to get up. Nobody expected Lorcan to be in there, they all understood his need for a break and Elide was the only one expected by the people. Rowan could also get away from disappearing for a bit. However, Aedion would be missed by some of the guests that were still milling about.

With great pain, he got himself to stand up.

"Alright gentlemen, I should go inside," he told the others.

They were a few murmurs of assent as he bent down to place a kiss on Fenrys's head. He then moved to Rowan and gave his forehead a gentle kiss. Then unthinkingly, he bent down and placed a kiss on Lorcan's forehead too.

The older male looked at him with surprise all over his face. Aedion froze, thinking that he might have just made a huge mistake.

However, Lorcan just silently raised his glass back to his lips to hide his smile, small and a little shy.

And yes, Elide had been right. Lorcan definitely looked much younger and brighter with a smile on his face.


End file.
